OUR DESIGNERS & FARMERS
Our Roots
The Backyard Farm Company was founded in 2012 by accomplished food-forward landscape designer, Christian Douglas, with the vision of creating productive and stylized landscapes that connect people to their land and to each other.
We are a team of designers and farmers who approach each project with the perfect blend of function + beauty, designing edible gardens that look as good as they taste. Every garden we service is treated with consideration of the client’s lifestyle, time, and budget. We strive to make growing your own food enjoyable and invite you to embrace your inner farmer.
CHRISTIANA
Lead Farmer & Assistant Designer
Christiana is a fierce farmer and also pure sunshine, bringing brightness & beauty to every project. She nurtures our gardens across the Bay Area while making our educational resources accessible further afield. Raised in the Capay Valley organic farming community, she has witnessed the joy of growing and cooking fresh food her entire life. She studied agriculture policy and food justice as part of her Community Studies degree at UCSC and worked and volunteered on farms from the islands of Scotland to the jungles of Nicaragua. Before joining TBFC, she was the assistant farm manager for the three-Michelin-star restaurant Saison, and the garden educator for San Francisco’s juvenile detention center. She is passionate about connecting people with the land and their food, and makes it all seem so simple.
FAVORITE FOOD TO GROW: Kale, it's the giving tree of garden plants.
FARMER TIP: Always consider the sun’s position and path, so you can plant crops according to sunlight requirements and height.
BACKYARD RITUAL: Taste testing, i.e. snacking straight from the vine when I harvest in my own garden!
OLIVIA
Farmer
Olivia is our enthusiastic farmer out there planting, harvesting, and maintaining our client’s gardens. She is also an active member of the UCCE Marin Master Gardeners, where she advises community members on plant and pest problems. Olivia has a degree in Environmental Studies and a broad range of farming and food experience including: managing the farm at Walker Creek Ranch Outdoor School in Petaluma, leading school groups at Land’s Sake Farm, interning with conservation efforts at the American Farmland Trust in New York, making wine in Italy, and working at nurseries around Marin. She is a pro at making gardens look their best and keeping each and every plant happy. Her appreciation for all the little things and joyful sense of humor fills each of our days with laughter and cheerfulness!
FAVORITE FOOD TO GROW: Scarlet Runner Beans, they cover trellises with emerald leaves and ruby flowers that are a goldmine for thirsty hummingbirds!
FARMER TIP: A Grape leaf added to a pickle recipe keeps the pickles crunchy, who knew!
BACKYARD RITUAL: I wake up to my chickens squawking early each morning, they get me out of bed and into the garden so I can water and care for my plants before the heat of the day.
AMY
Lead Mentor & Farmer
Amy is the friendly force behind our mentorship programs and group classes, empowering others to become confident growers. She thrives on sharing her skills, and has a sweet spot for the kids, our “tiny growers”. Amy has been farming for over 15 years and was recognized as one of the top 40 farmers under 40 by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. She’s a graduate of UCSC’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems program, who has managed operations, education, and production on multiple well known organic farms in the Bay Area. She also started the Petaluma Bounty Farm - a nonprofit educational farm whose mission is to make fresh food available to low income families. She reminds us all to delight in the magic of growing food from seed to harvest.
FAVORITE FOOD TO GROW: English Shelling Peas, the pods are like a mini treasure chest of sweet jewels.
FARMER TIP: Plant lettuces every 3-4 weeks so you can consistently have salads all season long!
BACKYARD RITUAL: Observation walk through the garden to assess how things are doing and what needs harvesting.
Liz
Farmer
Liz is a born and raised Marin local, who comes to The Backyard Farm Co with years of home gardening experience, tons of DIY knowledge, and an excitement for growing food that is totally organic! Her background in Art and Visual Merchandising ensures our gardens always look inspired. As a health coach, she knows precisely how fresh food and a gardening practice can do wonders for the body and soul (and exactly how to put a pep in your step!). With her extensive experiments in small-space, container, and shade gardening, Liz is an indispensable resource to our residential clients and the many gardens under her care. She thrives on sharing the garden experience with her young daughter and including home-grown produce in every single meal.
FAVORITE FOOD TO GROW: Cucumbers, their vigorous growing vines and delicious fruit add magic to the summer garden.
FARMER TIP: Schedule time to harvest, it's the reward for all our efforts and keeps the garden producing.
BACKYARD RITUAL: Walking the garden on summer mornings with a coffee and my cat.
CHRISTIAN
Founder & Lead Designer
Christian hails from the UK, so everything he says sounds sophisticated and you know all of his formal English gardens are the real deal. Yet he is far from one dimensional, in fact the landscapes he creates are renown for the way they fit perfectly with their surroundings and more importantly with their owners. Christian’s 25+ years experience in landscape design have given him a deep appreciation for ecological land use and food production, and his specialty is making food the standout of the space. He has worked for non-profit and for-profit farms around the world, such as the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and a regenerative farm in the Dead Sea Valley of Jordan. His driving mission is to encourage homeowners to re-imagine their outdoor space as a source of nutrition and community, a place to grow and share food in ways that bring us joy..and do it all with style!